I was delighted to learn that the newly elected pope chose for himselfthe name of St. Francis of Assisi, generally known as patron saint ofthe animals. Indeed, Catholic and Anglican churches hold ceremoniesblessing animals on his feast day of Oct. 4.

On one of his nature walks, Francis reportedly preached to the birds andis often portrayed with a bird in his hand. On another occasion, Francisconcluded a pact with a ferocious wolf that was terrorizing localtownsfolk, whereby the wolf would quit preying on the town’s sheep inexchange for being fed regularly. He even persuaded local dogs to stopharassing the wolf. He freed a rabbit from a trap, returned caught fishto their stream, and fed half-frozen bees in winter-time.

I hope that Pope Francis will inspire Catholics and all persons ofgoodwill to show non-human animals the respect and compassion they sorichly deserve, particularly when it comes to subsidizing their abuseand slaughter for food at the checkout counter. Joining the MeatlessMondays trend may be a good start.